Why your local community rocks

We all keep hearing that our digital devices are atomising society, making us all less social and driving a growing epidemic of loneliness.

But help is close at hand 👌🏼

Take a look here at a few ideas for local communities you might like to join, that are all happily getting on promoting the mental and physical health benefits of gathering together.

First up, read what the founder of Victoria Park and The Bath House-based Saturday morning sensation Community Yoga Project has to say on the topic, in this story from the pages of The Wick newspaper:

More to try:

London Handpan School Hannah Aiyana, a long-term Hackney Wick creative and the capital’s only handpan maker, has recently launched her own community teaching this hypnotic instrument to beginners and more experienced players.

London Youth Games Community Sport Festival takes place across the Copper Box and Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre this Sun 6th Jul. It’s a free event where you can try your hand at team sports, fitness challenges and other fun activities, support your boroughs teams in volleyball, netball, basketball and more, plus there’s live music and entertainment too.

Waveflow is a sober day rave based aboard a converted canalboat, currently on hold but will hopefully return, moored around Hackney Wick. The aim is to grow a community hub is where yoga, breathwork and meditation meet electronic music, via rhythmic fitness classes and parties with guests like Voigtmann and RobertDietz and DJ workshops – all aboard.

View Tube Runners: a friendly group ranging from total beginners through to ultra runners who meet next to the London Stadium on Tues 6.15pm at the Track for training and Thurs 7pm at ViewTube for 5K/10K (all abilities welcome to both), plus Sunday 9am at View Tube for longer distances.

Also on thisisthewick.com this week remember to support Fish Island’s food and drink establishments

♀️ Feminist art collective Nasty Gallery are back at Trowbridge Gardens Community Gallery from this Fri 5th Jul with a private view of Uprising, a vibrant new show celebrating women artists and their accessories. Expect powerful live performances, spoken word, singers, and storytellers on the launch night, and the exhibition then runs to Tues 23rd Jul.

🪑The massive, multi-storey Giant London Flea Market is back at the car park by Here East this Sun 6th Jul, offering the chance to unearth treasures from over 100 top traders in vintage furniture, home decor, preloved bargains and unexpected oddities, plus lunch at Canalside in the sunshine, too.

🚶🏼‍♀️‍➡️ Refugee Tales is a series of events in solidarity with refugees, people seeking asylum, migrants and those who have experienced immigration detention, and is hosting a special film screening at Hackney Picturehouse on Thurs 9th Jul. The evening will see tales, films and participation ahead of a series of nightly walks organised right across London in the days after.

🖼️ Felstead Art’s new exhibition Wicked Changes V, is the latest in their ongoing series exploring how artists respond to current urban and social challenges, with a particular focus on Hackney Wick. At The Trampery Fish Island Village until 2nd Aug.

📚 The Library of Things We Forgot to Remember is an archive of materials including vinyl, posters, paintings and more, drawn from private African collections. Artist Kudzanai Chiurai invites a different librarian to interrogate the archive for each show, the latest being shaped for the UCL Urban Room by guest librarian Dr Kara Blackmore. Runs to 16th Aug.

🏳️‍⚧️ Hackney Wick will be taken over by 20 of the world’s hottest queer DJs playing across eight different stages for 16-hour all-day-and-night Pride weekend bender HOWL Pride this Sat 5th Jul. Expect techno from the likes of Drybabe, DJ Winggold and TYGAPAW plus two infamous all-genders dark rooms. Taking place across Hackney Bridge, Colour Factory and Number 90.

🍹 Tonight’s 100 on the roof giveaway at The Lord Napier sees 100 complimentary cans of White Claw for the first to arrive from 5pm tonight, Wed 2nd Jul, up on the pub’s sizzling sunset terrace. Then cans of the Claw will be only a fiver all night long after, too.

🎙️ An evening of soulful jazz and feel-good pop comes courtesy of Turkish singer and actress Serel Yereli, who will light up Fabwick with her infectious vocal energy and presence this Sat 5th Jul.

🤠 This year we may well be more likely to be celebrating our independence from them, but either way, American Independence Day, the 4th July is always a good excuse for a party, so The Leyton Star is throwing a big bash with £5 pints and Johnny Cash and June Carter tribute act CASH, plus Moody’s Dip Sandwiches on hand for the food.

🎧 There’s an open call to aspiring women and gender-minority DJs as Colour Factory are teaming up with NOT BAD FOR A GIRL, the collective doing incredible work to champion the next wave of artists. Together, they’ll host a special event on Thurs 17th Jul, where all those picked get the chance to play a 30-min set in the Garden.

🦺 Applications are open for the COLLABORATE: SAFER SPACES Commission, offering the opportunity for four diverse-led teams to receive support and up to £50k each in flexible funding to develop collaborative ideas around the theme of ‘Safer Spaces’, as part of the final round of Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund, supported by Westfield Stratford City and co-funded by Foundation for Future London. The commission will provide the time and space to develop, test and embed collaborative work alongside partners, with wraparound co-designed support across each stage of programme development. Apply by 18th Aug. Look out for the drop-in session on 9th Jul too.

🎶 The Royal Docks Originals Festival 2025 is calling all musicians connected to Newham with a paid opportunity to improvise live as part of an atmospheric fire and water spectacular being held later this summer, and performed to audiences of over 2,000 people. Apply to be part of a paid workshop audition by 14th Jul.

🎤 Hear from East London Art Prize shortlisted artist Kuda Mushangi on what it is like working as an artist and architect in East London, and find out all about the opportunities and programmes the Good Growth Hub has on offer for up and coming local artists and young people at the free Talk and social: Good Growth Hub late with Kuda Mushangi and Vyonne Mirara, being held at their Hackney Bridge hub on Thurs 31st Jul.

🪛 The Restart Project is looking for proficient fixers to help revive small to medium-sized electricals, with support and training provided, at Hackney’s new Fixing Factory. If you’re a seasoned pro, you can also help reduce waste and bring items back to life while guiding others. Sign up to join a learning module now.

📊 Hackney Wick and Fish Island Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) is looking to review and strengthen its objectives to match the changing needs of local creative and other businesses. Have your say in under a minute by responding to this short four-question survey to help shape proposals for supporting the local creative community for the next three years and beyond.

Meanwhile, the HW&FI CEZ’s manager is the subject of a detailed profile piece, just published by online mag Modus. Read it here 👇🏼

🥻 Applications are open for the second cohort of The Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield. The Mayor of London, Projekt, Paul Smith’s Foundation and British GQ are behind the scheme to offer six successful creatives access to a free studio space for 18 months and over 60 hours of personal and business skills mentoring. Apply by 20th Jul.

🎓 The Inspiring Success Scholarship at Loughborough University London covers 100% of tuition fees on a masters programme, including career guidance and support, to unemployed or under-employed graduates from East London at their London campus at Here East. Residents of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, or Waltham Forest who are willing to actively contribute to the local community are invited to apply for the programme by 31st July.

🌊 Over 3,400 homes in Hackney are at risk from surface water flooding, also known as flash flooding. If you are concerned about this and want to know how to better prepare, respond and recover, visit the new Hackney flood website. The Environment Agency has also put together these resources especially to help locals be better prepared for flooding in this area, following similar incidents in recent years.